My hopes - reviewed

At the start of this course I listed my hopes.  I have referred to this list occasionally but it's crunch time; now I have to check if I've managed to fulfil my hopes.  This is what I wrote with my comments in blue

I hope:

to learn all I can

Yes this has been fulfilled  The course has given me the opportunity to become acquainted with new skills and develop old ones in new ways.  There has also been the option to go  a bit further with things I'm particularly interested in...

to become more confident in my creative ability

Another yes. I am much happier that I "can" rather than being diffident.  I have yet to sort out the difference between confidence and arrogance.

to be able to follow through from inspiration to finished piece in a mindful and consistent way

Yes again.  I have learned that ideas have to be developed from somewhere, they don't just happen.  Project 10 gave me the opportunity draw everything together to create a design from start to finish and I think what I made is cohesive.

to find fulfilment in what I produce

Yes, yes, yes.  I'm addicted and I'm told there's no known cure

to receive knowledgeable feedback so that I have the opportunity to improve

After making the very hard decision to change my tutor at the end of Stage one I have felt confident and happy with the balance of the feedback I've received.  I got a lot out of the asides my tutor has sent, the book suggestions, articles and so on.  I've not met her or even spoken to her but I feel she knows me pretty well.  Thanks Liz.

to develop my skills base

There's no doubt about it I'm much more skillful and much more aware of so many new things

to be proud of my achievements

I'm learning to recognise when my work is good.  I'm proud of the distance I've travelled and the work I've produced.

I feel like I do at the end of a good book - I don't want it to end because I've enjoyed it so much.  Good job there's a sequel.

At

Part 4 Review

Assignment 4

Reflective commentary

As ever I reflect as I go along but this is a good opportunity to take an overview of Part 4.  It doesn't seem two minutes since I began but the amount of work I've covered is staggering

I love looking at the work of artists of all kinds and I've managed to do a lot of this.  For one of my tapestry pieces it even inspired me to try an experiment based on a painting.  Best of all was Linda Bellinger's response to my request for details of her work; she was just so helpful and friendly..

The idea of wrappings is one that seems to work well for me.  Whilst I've sometimes found myself deviating from what I've wrapped it's been useful to focus on proportion.

I enjoyed the early weaving tasks and it surprised me that such a wide range of effects was possible..  

I've found myself using braids and cords I've made in the later tapestry work.  It's been useful as a way of combining colours and thickening yarns up a bit.

In the Structures section I found myself rejecting work that I'd spent quite some time on.  I think this is part of becoming more discerning and critical..  The structures I finally produced were both a bit off the wall.  I'm finding I'm more and more interested in using the odds and ends I have instead of expensive materials..  I'm an avid eBayer and have a nose for a bargain.

I had to teach myself to weave and made an initial mistake through misunderstanding some instructions. However, what my mistake did show me is that there's more than one way to weave; you just get a different result.  In my case my first piece was like a tough rug and my second piece was very loose.. Eventually I realised what was happening and subsequent pieces are better.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the weaving in spite of the problems (including tension) which I think I've managed to resolve..

At the beginning of the course and way into it I was always happy to return to stitch because I felt more comfortable with it than anything else.  This is changing and I'm finding other textile approaches I want to pursue.

My Theme Book

I had  a difficult time with my Theme Book at the start of Part 4 and it took a definite back seat as I floundered. around.  I managed to pick it up again by looking at the enormous variation in fruit skins.  The work I did on melon skin informed my design at the collograph workshop I did recently. and I'm considering a similar design for Project 10.  I need to talk to my tutor.

Assessment criteria points

Demonstration of Technical and Visual Skills

Part 4 has been about structures and weaving and has offered some challenges which I have managed to overcome.

I've been pleased that I've been able to combine materials to achieve so many different effects.

I find that I'm looking at the work of others (like Peter Dworok) and being able to imagine it in another medium.

I still feel that composition sometimes lets me down.

Quality of Outcome

I'm learning that quality doesn't necessarily mean neatness.  This is a big move for me...

I'm finding it hard to know how to present bulky material so that it is    shown to best advantage..

I continue to feel I'm on an adventure and am becoming less "stitch dependent"..

Demonstration of Creativity

I think that some of my best work is in this section.  It feels exuberant and exciting and that's down to combinations of materials I think.

I'm enjoying letting go and experimenting.  .

I'm pretty hard on myself - I'm still wanting to produce "wonderful" all the time.

I'm constantly surprised at what I can do.

Context

I'm managed to see the work of a whole range of artists recently.  They have ranged from ceramicists to blacksmiths.  There's something to be learned from each one..

I'm beginning to believe that I CAN. and recognising my own work as something worthwhile.

Part 9 Tapestry reflections

I've loved this part of the course.  It's been full on all the time because I've never done any weaving before.  Because of this I did a tutorial from a book that gave me practice in the basics and I'm glad I did; it gave me some confidence.

I've used a variety of materials; some quite unexpected like drinking straws which gave a really structured feel to an otherwise informal piece.  I've used plastic, wool in variety, lace, sari silk, torn fabric strips of various kinds and introduced tyvek beads and felting as an experiment.

The wool has always given me the basics but depending on what sort of wool it can create flat surfaces or lovely bubbly textures especially if used as a soumak knot.  I enjoyed mixing wool with other things as well.

I've used sari silk extensively, both the flat ribbon like one and the rolled one.  They give a lustre and always come up with a surprise as the colour varies so quickly.  The ribbon sari silk made attractive soumak and I liked it best when it was really loose.  I love it.   

Carrier bags give an interesting texture and I was surprised how easy they were to use; just like any other yarn really.

I had more than enough material to play with because it seems you can use just about anything.

Weaving is slow particularly when the equipment you're using is so basic.  If you have no  expectation of speed then it's fine.  I found I just relaxed into it and enjoyed it.  The leisurely pace allows some thinking time and I was able to use this to plan how to use materials.  Is it limiting - I'm not sure.  If you have chosen tapestry as your medium you have also chosen it's limits so I guess they are acceptable to you.  If you're prepared to try things out and see if they work it has no need to be just plain and boring.  I have found it exciting and I think I've produced some of my best work in this section.

Sample one

I've managed three samples, all very different.  Having done a bit of practice my first sample aims to develop my skills a bit more and I tried a circle.  Having a bit of distance from it now I can see that it doesn't hang together very well and the problem is the pale green at the bottom - it has nowhere near enough texture compared to the rest.  The overwhelming colour in my original photo was green so it was always going to be a challenge to create enough "difference" and I think I've managed it.  I very much like the way the warp shows when chunky wefts are used.  I can see that this could be incorporated into the design to make yet another texture.

Sample 2

I had little intention of creating something like this but it was sparked by a picture and I just had to see the idea through.  I wanted to make something in landscape format and I managed that OK.  The fields work as well but the sky looks too threatening for a summer day.  It is quite a literal interpretation and I'm not as fond of it as my other pieces.  However, I traced an idea through, was prepared for it to fail and was happy enough with the result. It is the sort of piece that will spark other ideas I think.

Sample 3

My tension problems are boringly documented so I'll not go through it all again.
This is an additional piece just to concentrate on improving it.  Success.  Basically it's just wool and sari silk but it's turned out well with lots of texture and lovely colours.  I'm pleased that I've been able to trouble shoot the tension problem because I'd like to return to tapestry without having to worry too much about it.

I like working both from source material and intuitively but I think intuitively just has the edge; I'm not quite so tied down.  Tomorrow I might give another answer though.

Project 6 Review

Project 6 Review

Working with fabric in this way isn't new to me.  The way it I've using it has been.  Manipulation is a terrific way to get, height and undulations that probably would be impossible with hand stitch alone. Layers can change how something looks almost beyond recognition, introduce a few slashes and the world changes again.  One of the good things about stitch is that it is slow and there's plenty of time to make changes.  The speed with which fabric can be changed is just the opposite and sometimes scary.  Combined with stitch or other techniques manipulation is an exciting prospect.

I'm generally pleased with the results I've achieved.  I've begun to think differently and be able to take paths I'm unsure of with more confidence. 

I particularly liked the gathering because previously it was a means to an end .  Now it has become an exploratory exercise that can throw up surprises.  I feel as though I've been given the best gift ever with Collete Wolffs' book and I know it will become a dog eared favourite.

I enjoyed being able to take a piece of my printed fabric and work with it again in the applique work. I wanted to keep the colour theme going but tried experimenting with the material I used.

I liked doing my Stage 3 Sample from the applique point of view.  There's a bit of design work to think about though.

I was rather lukewarm about the moulding and raised surfaces work maybe because it was unknown territory.  In the end the moulding proved a revelation.

It's so hard to identify best bits because they're so tied up with the pleasure factor and I've enjoyed it all.

I didn't have Tyvek so missed out on that.  However, I am now the proud possessor of a fine soldering iron so that will come soon.

I sometimes find a dilemma in changing halfway through when there's a plan to work to but I'm finding that I'm less worried about sticking to my drawing - more able to go with the flow.  I'm the sort of person who likes to know where she's going so this is quite a big thing.  In my last sample the challenge for me was not the outcome but the fact that I didn't know where I'd end up.  I think this must mean that the fabric manipulation took over.

I have come to like working from drawings; it's becoming part of my process.  It's a bit like knowing the provenance of food; it can be traced back to it's roots and I like the idea.  I think I would find it very hard just to pluck ideas from shapes and materials; it wouldn't mean anything.

Loving stitching is why I'm doing this course and I'm  just finding more things to love.  The breadth of my new experience is opening up other definitions of stitch, for instance fusing.  So a definite NO I'm not finding the idea of stitch limiting - quite the reverse.  

Wolff, C. 1996, The Art of Manipulating Fabric. Krause Publications, Iola, Wisconsin

Project 5 Review

Project 5 Review

Project 5 has given me some challenges.  I've found myself getting tired and worried about integrating my learning into my work.

My review of my fabrics was surprising because I hadn't realised how many I had.  I rarely see them all together because they are in colour boxes.  I am concerned that I generally go for the bland, safe background.  On the occasions I haven't I've been disappointed with the result.

Creating stencils was something I found tricky.  One difficulty was with the differentiation of positive and negative space but I learned a lot from this and was able to use my learning in my large sample.

In my interpretation of my blurred image I know now that I was trying to copy and when I repeated the exercise and just let it happen it worked much better.  That's a big lesson.

Whilst I think my starting choices were OK sometimes the methods and materials left something to be desired.  The acrylic felt and Markal sticks is a case in point.  I still like the idea but the colours were all wrong for the feel I wanted.

The final purple piece was disappointing.  At least I'm learning the limits both of myself and my materials. 

The final large sample in Stage 4 did something to make me feel a little better.  I managed to create both a repeated and stand alone design from the one image.  I was able to think simple after my difficulties with stencils and masking and this gave a much better result.  I enjoyed the evolutionary way the Stage developed.  The simplicity of the finished piece belies the amount of work involved in the learning process.

Project 4 Review

Project 4 Review

I've had real fun with this section of the course.  The effect of the use of the space and the concept of negative space seemed very obvious once it was pointed out but I became a bit tangled in the positive/negative idea once or twice.

In Stage 3 I had to select from drawings I'd already done and although I don't find it difficult to make selections I'm not sure how well I do it.  I was pleased with the drawing I did at the end of the exercise in which I took elements of two snips and made a completely new picture.  I left in a major mistake as a reminder to myself not to get carried away with marks that can't be erased!

I was happy to play about using my drawings as the basis for new work.  There's always more things I want to try and I'm finding that one thing really does lead to another. I never have enough time to follow all my ideas.  I learnt a lot about what works and what doesn't (particularly with pastels) and much about myself and the boldness with which I can work with unexpected comfort.

I still find it hard to be a fair critic of my own work.  I'm able to say if I like a piece I've worked on but not really know whether it has any merit.  Maybe that comes with confidence and experience both of which take time.

I feel that the working method I've been using will be the basis for lots of other work; it makes a lot of sense and leaves room for almost infinite interpretation and exploration. The need to pluck inspiration out of thin air is obviously not a course requirement!  Sweet relief.

I've been totally absorbed in this work and done very little research or reading.